Dr. Howard Smith Oncall

Vidcast: https://www.instagram.com/p/DF_GpbXgONF/Recreational ketamine use has surged:  it rose 82% over 4 years from 2015 to 2019 and another 40% over a single year from 2021 to 2022.   Those in their mid-20s to mid-30s are 66% more likely to abuse it compared with those in their early 20s.  Its in greater use by those with college educations compared with those who completed their formal education with high school.Ketamine is a dissociative anesthetic and a valuable therapeutic agent for pain relief in the hospital and a useful tool for managing drug-resistant depression.  Used irresponsibly including use with alcohol, ketamine can cause dangerous hallucinations, unconsciousness, seizures, coma, respiratory depression, dangerously low blood pressures, cardiac arrest, and death.  This is not a drug to play with.  Besides these acute complications, its repeated use leads to psychological dependence and addiction.https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0165032724020962?via=ihubhttps://americanad

Vidcast: https://www.instagram.com/p/DF_FqVntI0m/The FDA now warns healthcare professionals and the general public about unapproved epinephrine nasal solutions manufactured by BPI Labs and Endo USA.  These products may be mistakenly used rather than FDA-approved injectable epinephrine. These products look similar due to similar packaging and containers/.  These nasal solutions are not sterile, and injections of non-sterile solutions can trigger serious and life-threatening infections.Due to FDA warnings, Endo USA recalled its unapproved nasal product in December 2024.  To date and  despite repeated notifications, BPI Labs has not complied with the FDA’s ordered recall.Healthcare professionals and you, the consumer, should be aware of the potential dangers of these products.https://www.fda.gov/drugs/drug-safety-and-availability/fda-warns-health-care-professionals-not-use-epinephrine-nasal-solutions-bpi-labs-and-endo-usa#epinephrine #nasal #injectable #endousa #bpilabs

Vidcast: https://www.instagram.com/p/DF_E2emOYkR/Ultrasonic vibrations, transmitted to killer T cells via micro bubbles, trigger a 3.6 fold greater release of tumor killing proteins from the T cells.  This the report from Canadian biophysicists in the journalFrontiers in Immunology.  The vibrations, transmitted to tumors from the surface via microbubbles, make the T cell membranes more permeable, more leaky.  These cells then release cytokines, signaling molecules that recruit additional immune cells in the battle against the cancer cells.This technique is non-invasive and could become a valuable adjunctive weapon in the battle to control all cancers….. someday soon.https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/immunology/articles/10.3389/fimmu.2024.1486744/full#ultrasound #cancer #microbuttles #tcells #cytokines

Vidcast: https://www.instagram.com/p/DF_ERAiufqD/Repetitive head trauma activates latent viruses that, in turn, create the neurologic damage characteristic of neurodegenerative diseases including Alzheimer’s dementia.  This the conclusion from studies by Boston’s Tuft’s University bioengineers just published in the journalScienceSignaling.Using a 3Din vitrohuman brain model, their studies show that latent or sleepingherpes simplex virus type 1in brain tissue is reactivated into life by repeated brain trauma.  This now active virus then creates neuroinflammation with accumulation of the debris found in cases of Alzheimer’s dementia and chronic traumatic encephalopathy, namely beta amyloid and phosphorylated tau.The takeaway: repeat blows to your head or to the heads of your children during sports contests like football, trigger a herpes virus induced degeneration of brain tissue and dementia.  Avoid head trauma and, when you can’t, wear protective head gear.https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/scisignal.ado6430

Vidcast:  Vidcast: https://www.instagram.com/p/DF_Do23geGi/The pattern of blood vessels at the back of your eyes, in your retinas, could be an early warning sign that your risk of stroke may be up to 20% higher than normal.  So say research ophthalmologists at Australia’s Royal Victorian Eye and Ear Hospital working with colleagues at Harvard’s Mass.Eye and Ear Infirmary.The eye’s retina is the only part of the body offering a direct view of your blood vessels.  Observing vascular patterns in the eyes of some 45,161 subjects followed over 12.5 years, the investigators discovered 29 indicators linked to increased stroke risk.  Significant changes in these indicators predicted an increased risk of stroke from 9.8 to 19%.This retinal vascular analysis appears to more predictive of strokes than more conventional non-invasive methods.  With further refinement, it can only improve.https://heart.bmj.com/content/early/2025/01/03/heartjnl-2024-324705#retina #stroke #screeing #noninvasive #australia #boston

Vidcast: https://www.instagram.com/p/DF_DDtFg0EK/With GLP-1 diet drugs costing more than $1000 a month, know that you can derive some of the same benefits from the foods you eat for a tiny fraction of that cost.  Those foods are those high in fiber, protein, and unsaturated fats as they naturally stimulate the release of GLP-1 in your body.  Find fiber in beans, lentils, fruits including berries and prunes, and grains including oats and barley.  Get your protein from fish, chicken, eggs, cheese, yogurt, milk, peanut butter, almonds, broccoli, cauliflower, asparagus, quinoa.  Healthy unsaturated fats, both mono- and poly-unsaturated are found in avocados, nuts, seeds, olives, and corn.Besides saving a bundle, you avoid the unpleasant side effects of the diet drugs including nausea, bloating, abdominal pain, and diarrhea.  You can lose those extra pounds and then maintain your healthy weight with dietary and lifestyle habits including regular exercise.  You’ll save loads of money, much discomfort, and a disappo

Vidcast: https://www.instagram.com/p/DF_CRJDsZo4/While Impossible and Beyond Burgers are all the rage, a study from University College London and the University of Oxford, just published in theProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences,suggests better alternatives.   Unprocessed legumes like beans, peas, and soybeans make the best meat and milk alternatives besting processed options like the veggie burgers, plant milks, and lab-grown meat. Beans, peas, and soybeans are minimally processed foods and are optimal choices for nutrition, health, environmental impact, and cost.The study data reveals that substituting beans and peas for meat and dairy cuts diet-related disease mortality by 10%, reduces greenhouse gas emissions by more than half, and lowers food costs by a third.While veggie burgers and plant milks had health benefits, they produced more emissions and were more expensive.  Lab grown meat, generated from tissue cultures of animal cells, was the worst with few health benefits, creation of high emi

Vidcast: https://www.instagram.com/p/DF_BqxIPSwa/Those in the hot-and-heavy dating scene should know that post-exposure prophylaxis with the antibiotic doxycycline, called, Doxy-PEP, cuts the STD incidence rates by 70-80%.   Infectious disease investigators in Boston and San Francisco studied data from 11,551 participants mean age 40 and 95% male with a high risk for contracting sexually transmitted disease.The Doxy-PEP cut the risk of a chlamydia infection by 79% and the risk of syphilis by 80%, but the risk of gonorrhea by only 12%.  The Doxy-PEP failed to better protect against gonorrhea due to causative bacterial resistance to the antibiotic.While Doxy-PEP is currently highly effective, that could rapidly change.  Antibiotic resistance to the prevalent bacteria that cause these diseases could increase at any time.https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamainternalmedicine/fullarticle/2828994#std #chlamydia #syphilis #gonorrhea

Vidcast:https://www.instagram.com/p/DF_AxX3RDOw/Regularly consuming hot dogs and bacon could increase your chances of developing dementia by 13%. Eating those steaks consistently leads to a 16% higher risk of cognitive decline.  A new study by researchers from Mass General Brigham and the Harvard School of Public Health followed more than 133,000 (133,771) individuals for up to 43 years.As few as two slices of bacon consumed regularly accelerates your cognitive aging by 1.6 years and triggers a cognitive decline that is an early marker of dementia.  Why?  Saturated fats, salt, and a gut-derived compound called TMAO, trimethylamine N-oxide, are the brain-damaging culprits.The good news.  Substituting fish, nuts, or legumes for the franks, bacon, and t-bones could reduce your dementia risk by 19%.https://www.massgeneralbrigham.org/en/about/newsroom/press-releases/red-meat-increases-risk-of-dementiahttps://www.neurology.org/doi/10.1212/WNL.0000000000210286#dementia #redmeat #bacon #hotdogs #tmao

Vidcast:  https://www.instagram.com/drhowardsmithreports/reel/DFgLPUUO7CK/ Recording CPSC and FDA recall reports. 1/29/25.   CPSC Teckwe Hair Dryer Brushes  Giant Mouse Folding Knives  Duluth Children’s Pajama Sets  NQDTPBOR Helmets Vornado Room Heaters WorkPro Office Chairs  Samurai Smoke Alarms Polaris Off-Road Vehicles Northern Tool Shop Stools Lexmark Printers FDA Monkey Spit Barbecue Sauces  Prepared Monkfish Liver  Pearl Milling Pancake Mix  Paras Golden RaisinsColussi Chocolate Cookies  Shirakiku Corn Curry Puffs

Vidcast:  https://www.instagram.com/reel/DFgKG4LNYn3/ Wismettac Asian Foods, Inc. has recalled Shirakiku brand Curvee Puffs Corn Puff Snack Curry Flavor.  This snack contains to undeclared milk and is a danger to those with a milk allergy  This snack was sold in Alaska, Alabama, Arkansas, Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Maryland, Michigan, Missouri, Mississippi, North Carolina, Nebraska, New Jersey, Nevada, New York, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Washington, and Wisconsin.  It was also exported to Mexico. Stop eating this recalled snack food and return it to the place of purchase for a full refund.  For additional information, contact Wismettac Asian Foods at recall@wismettacusa.com. https://www.fda.gov/safety/recalls-market-withdrawals-safety-alerts/wismettac-asian-foods-issues-allergy-alert-undeclared-milk-curvee-puffs-corn-pu

Vidcast:  https://www.instagram.com/drhowardsmithreports/reel/DFgJigPpkBJ/ D. Coluccio & Sons now recall Colussi Cantuccini Chocolate Drops cookies, lot numbers 3540152 and L354150. These cookies contain undeclared almond, and those with an allergy to almonds could develop a serious or life-threatening allergic reaction should they consume this product. Stop munching on these recalled cookies and return them to the place of purchase for a full refund.  For more information, contact D. Coluccio & Sons at 1-718-436-6700 or via the email customerservice@dcoluccioandsons.com. https://www.fda.gov/safety/recalls-market-withdrawals-safety-alerts/d-coluccio-sons-issues-allergy-alert-undeclared-almonds-colussi-cantuccini-chocolate-drops-cookies #coluccio #chocolate #cookies #almonds #allergy #recall

Vidcast:  https://www.instagram.com/reel/DFgI_Sfu6Sz/ Apna Wholesale Inc now recalls Paras Premium Golden Raisins. The raisins contain undeclared sulfur dioxide.  Those sensitive and allergic to sulfites risk severe or life-threatening allergic reactions should they consume this product. These sulfite- bearing raisins were sold in New York and Massachusetts at Apna Bazar Farmers Market retail stores. Do not consume these recalled raisins but return them to the place of purchase for a full refund. For more information, contact Apna Wholesale at 1-516-807-4555. https://www.fda.gov/safety/recalls-market-withdrawals-safety-alerts/apna-wholesale-issues-alert-undeclared-sulfites-paras-premium-golden-raisins #para #raisins #apna #sulfites #allergy #recall

Vidcast:  https://www.instagram.com/drhowardsmithreports/reel/DFgIg7Wsu8q/ The Quaker Oats Company is recalling its Pearl Milling Company Original Pancake & Waffle Mix, lots labeled as BBD SEP 13 25 P.  These packages contain undeclared milk. Those with an allergy to milk could develop a serious or life-threatening allergic reaction should they consume this product.  This recalled pancake/waffle mix was sold in: Arkansas, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Minnesota, Mississippi, Nebraska, Utah, and Wisconsin. Stop using the product and discard it.   For questions and a refund, contact Quaker Consumer Relations at 1-800-407-2247. https://www.fda.gov/safety/recalls-market-withdrawals-safety-alerts/quaker-issues-limited-recall-undeclared-milk-pearl-milling-company-original-pancake-waffle-mix #quaker #pearlmilling #pancake #waffle #mix #milk #allergy #recall

Vidcast:  https://www.instagram.com/reel/DFgH3b3vL3O/ New York Mutual Trading Co., Inc. now recalls its Prepared Monkfish Liver due to undeclared milk allergens.  Individuals with milk allergies risk a serious or life-threatening reaction. The product was sold in Florida, Georgia, Maryland, New Jersey, and New York, primarily through restaurants and some retail stores. Stop using this product and return it to the place of purchase for a full refund.  For additional information, call New York Mutual Trading Co. at 1-213-626-9458 or email the company at la.foodsafetygrp@mutual.us. https://www.fda.gov/safety/recalls-market-withdrawals-safety-alerts/mutual-trading-co-issues-allergy-alert-undeclared-milk-prepared-monkfish-liver #newyorkmutual #monkfish #milk #allergy #recall

Vidcast:  https://www.instagram.com/drhowardsmithreports/reel/DFgHTffJ0_T/ Monkey Spit, LLC now recalls Monkey Mop BBQ Sauce, Best by 11/07/2026A, Swamp Mob BBQ Sauce, Best By 12/13/2025A, and Atomic Mop BBQ Sauce, Best by 03/19/2026D.  These barbecue sauces contain undeclared milk, soy, or wheat with a serious or life-threatening threat to individuals with allergies to these ingredients.  Immediately stop using these products and return them to the place of purchase for a full refund.  For more information, call Monkey Spit at 1-714-514-8445 or email the company at karen@monkeyspithotsauce.com. https://www.fda.gov/safety/recalls-market-withdrawals-safety-alerts/monkey-spit-llc-issues-allergy-alert-undeclared-milkwheatsoy-monkey-spit-bbq-sauces #monkeyspit #bbq #sauce #allergy #milk #soy #wheat #recall

Vidcast:  https://www.instagram.com/reel/DFgGzXmN1Ye/ Lexmark International now recalls its Lexmark specialty printers, models MS725dvn and MX725adve.  The printer can overheat with fire and burn hazards. About 43,510 units were sold in the United States and 4,000 were sold in Canada online at lexmark.com, CDW Logistics, Tech Data Product Management Inc., and Insight Direct USA Inc. between June 2018 and November 2024. Immediately stop using these recalled printers and contact Lexmark  at 1-866-470-1574 or email safety@lexmark.com for a free repair part that addresses the issue. https://www.cpsc.gov/Recalls/2025/Lexmark-International-Recalls-Specialty-Printers-Due-to-Fire-Hazard #lexmark #printers #overheating #fires #burns #recall

Vidcast:  https://www.instagram.com/drhowardsmithreports/reel/DFgGOunO-5H/ Northern Tool + Equipment now recalls its Northern Tool Adjustable Swivel Shop Stools with Backrests, model number 20230 with the “NT” logo on the seat. The welded connection between the seat base and stool post breaks leading to falls and injuries. About 51,770 units were sold in the United States with an additional 34 in Canada. The stools were sold nationwide at Northern Tool + Equipment stores and online at NorthernTool.com, Amazon.com, Walmart.com, and eBay.com from September 2020 through June 2023. Stop using the recalled stools and contact Northern Tool + Equipment at 1-888-518-0342 for a free replacement. https://www.cpsc.gov/Recalls/2025/Northern-Tool-Equipment-Recalls-Adjustable-Swivel-Shop-Stools-with-Backrests-Due-to-Fall-Hazard #northerntool #stool #fracture #falls #injuries #recall

Vidcast:  https://www.instagram.com/reel/DFgFusJMKYy/ Polaris Industries is recalling Model Year 2024-2025 Ranger XD 1500 and Crew XD 1500 recreational off-road vehicles (ROVs).  These vehicles have door handles that stick allowing the door to open unexpectedly while the vehicle is in motion. These unsafe doors create a risk of crashes and injuries when an unrestrained rider is ejected. About 4,200 ROVs and 393 replacement doors are affected in the US with about 291 additional units in Canada. Stop riding these recalled vehicles and inspect the door handles following instructions provided by Polaris to all registered owners. If your vehicle is affected, contact Polaris at 1-800-765-2747 or via the email owner.Connections@polaris.com for free repairs snd replacement door handles. https://www.cpsc.gov/Recalls/2025/Polaris-Industries-Recalls-Model-Year-2024-2025-Ranger-XD-1500-and-Crew-XD-1500-Recreational-Off-Road-Vehicle-ROVs-Due-to-Injury-and-Crash-Hazards #polaris #offroad #doorhandles #injury #recall

Vidcast:  https://www.instagram.com/drhowardsmithreports/reel/DFgFOTmAVaw/ The Three61 company now recalls its Samurai Mini Smoke Alarm, model SM1.  This device fails to trigger reliably and alert in the case of a fire leading to smoke inhalation and burn hazards. About 328,000 of these smoke alarms  were sold exclusively through HSN and online at HSN.com from July 2020 through November 2024. Stop depending on these detectors and mmediately contact Three61 at recall@samuraibrands.com to arrange for a free replacement alarm. To obtain the replacement, write “Recalled” on the smoke alarm with a permanent marker, take a photo of the marked product, and upload it to www.samuraibrands.com/recall. https://www.cpsc.gov/Recalls/2025/Three61-Recalls-Samurai-Mini-Smoke-Alarms-Due-to-Failure-to-Alert-Consumers-to-a-Fire-Sold-Exclusively-by-HSN #Samurai #smoke #alarm #nonalerting #burns #smokeinhalation #recall